Agreed. I have been in more than 5 fights in my life and i definately don't refer to myself as a "street fighter" I don't even like the term. It mnakes me think of a thug, a criminal, or a terrorist, or a hot headed punk.

I agreed you can call yourself whatever you want. But by standers watching or witnessing these encounters will define you as a streetfighter. Thats the guy that whipped the crap out of this guy at such and such place/bar, he's a hell of a streetfighter. Or he fought this guy ..., and took a hell of a beaten he is a tough a$$ streetfighter.

If you indulges or entrapped in these type fights you are titled by association with these idoits and violent guys.Such is life, you don't whip the crap out a guy even with Aikido (One of the most gentle arts ) and not be labled a streetfighter.

I've never heard any one say on the street, My what great control and techinque that up right citizen performed on that ruffin, he broke his arm in two places. What a gentlmen and knight of a guy. Whats heard is damn did you see the way that guy broke that fools arm. Man I'd hate to mess with him in a dark alley, hell of a streetfighter. Theres no bowing on the streets.

As for the 1-5 fights r more label, some people have never pass a blow or tasted their own blood in a fight. These people I'd say they don't have any streetfighting experince. Its like changing a diaper once you've done it you might get crap on your hands, you've been there done that. Just like there are some cops that go their career and never fired their gun on duty or pointed it at a suspect. They are still policemans, probably pretty well trained. These titles are just preceptions not self earned titles of pride & honor.

Boxing relies on making punches as effective, hard and well timed as possible. Footwork, good strike guard, and spacial control are drilled heavily. Countering attack and working off the backfoot are also worked at to become natural responses. The training also leads to regular experience of being hit with full or near full force.

I fail to see how anyone in their right mind could see such a skillset as anything but effective in a physical altercation.

I agree but there are boxers and then there people that try to box at any gym. Just like there are at most any MA's gyms/dojos theres different level of skills. Some will never be good fighters or fighters period even with a vigorous training program thats built around combat. Its hard to develop heart and tenacity if it ain't there.

I agree boxing is an effective skill in self defense. For the average person (meaning the average person that can apply the skill, some people can't, this is with any MA).

Perhaps I haven't seen enough, maybe I'm not old enough, or maybe I'm just weird, but i think boxing is good form of self defense compar4d to something like Karate (too ritualistic if you ask me, but i'm crazy). My old man has no training except for 3 older brothers and a Navy man for a father. He got the tar smacked out of him on a regular basis, but he's a tough man now. He has no professional level of training and he's beaten men with golden gloves in their ring. I've seen him bust a man's face apart in 2 hits, knock a guy sliding across the floor, breaking his cheek bone (and his knuckle), as well as putting down a blackbelt in karate with ease. Now not everyone is a good natural fighter, but i'd have to say my old man is.

Pushing out everyone's rants about a 'street fighter' or some ignorant hooligan, i'd have to say Boxing is a good form, but you are too focused and neglect the rest. Cross training is the best solution. Naturally, my father fights like he was trained in Muy Thai. My Sifu was a cage fighter, and fairly successful at it as well. I belief he has some sort of issue that his veins are too small so he has problems with internal bleeding and he had to quit...but i think that was the case...i'm not sure. He has 'westernized' muy thai in a sense that he has incorperated boxing strikes into it. He also focuses on Brazilian Jujutsu...and is pretty good. I would have to say, look at the ultimate fighting championship in 93. Royce Gracie took out that boxer like nothing simply because he panicked. A boxer on the ground against a ground fighter is not a good idea.

as it's been stated before, boxing is good for one part, but it's not the best for the rest of the aspects.